University of Virginia Library

Francelia.

Act I.

Scene I.

Enter as to a Duell:
Samorat, Philatell, Torcular.
Samorat,
But my Lords,
May not this harsh businesse
Yet be left undone!
Must you hate me because I love your sister;
And can you hate at no lesse rate then death?

Phil.
No, at no lesse:
Thou art the blaster of our fortunes,
The envious cloud that darknest all our day,
While she thus prodigally, and fondly
Throwes away her love on thee;
She has not wherewithall to pay a debt
Unto the Prince.—

Sam.
Is this all?

Tor.
Faith, what if in short we doe not thinke
You worthy of her?—

Sam.
I sweare that shall not make a quarrell.
I thinke so too;
'Have urg'd it often to my selfe;
Against my selfe have sworn't as oft to her,
Pray let this satisfie.—

Phil.
Sure (Torcular) he thinks we come to talke
Looke you Sir;—
drawes.
And brother since his friend has fail'd him,
Doe you retire.

Tor.
Excuse me (Philatell)
I have an equall interest in this,
And fortune shall decide it.—

Phil.
It will not need, hee's come.—

Enter Orsabrin.
Ors.
Mercury protect me! what are these?
The brothers of the high-way!

Phil.
A stranger by his habit.—

Tor.
And by his looks a Gentleman.
Sir,—will you make one!
We want a fourth.—

Ors.
I shall be rob'd with a tricke now!

Sam.
My Lords excuse me!
This is not civill.
In what concernes my selfe,
None but my selfe must suffer.—

Ors.
A duell by this light,—
Now has his modestie,
And t'others forwardnes warm'd me.—
goes towards them.
Gentlemen, I weare a sword,
And commonly in readines,
If you want one, speak Sir.—
to Samorat
I doe not feare much suffering.

Sam.
Y'are noble Sir,
I know not how t'invite you to it;
Yet, there is Justice on my side,
And since you please to be a witnesse
To our actions, 'tis fit you know our Story.—

Ors.
No Story Sir I beseech you,—
The cause is good enough as 'tis,
It may be spoil'd i'th telling.

Phil.
Come we trifle then.—

Sam.
It is impossible to preserve I see
My honor and respect to her.
And since you know this too my Lord,
It is not handsome in you thus to presse me,
But come—
Torcular beckens to Orsabrin.—
Ah! I understand you Sir.—

Exeunt.
Philatell and Samoratt fight.
Phil.
In posture still.—
Ah, y'are mortall then it seemes.—

A slight wound.
Sam.
Thou hast undone thy selfe rash man,
For with this bloud thou hast let out a spirit
Will vex thee to thy grave.—

Fight agen, Samorat takes away Philatells sword, and takes breath, then gives it him.
Sam.
I'm coole agen,
Here my Lord.—
And let this Present bind your friendship.—

Phil.
Yes thus.—

Runs, t'him.
Sam.
Treacherous, and low.—

Enter Orsabrin.
Ors.
I have dril'd my gentleman,
Have made as many holes in him
As would sinke a Ship Royall
In sight of the Haven:—
How now?—
Samorat upon his knee.
S'foot yonder's another going that way too.—
Now have I forgot of which side I'm on,
No matter.
I'le help the weakest;
There's some Justice in that.

Phil.
The Villaine sure has slaine my brother.
If I have any friends above,
Guide now my hand unto his heart.—

Orsabrin puts it by runs at him. Samo steps in.
Sam.
Hold noble youth!
Destroy me not with kindnesse:
Men will say he could have kil'd me,
And that injustice should not be
For honours sake, leave us together.—

Ors.
'Tis not my businesse fighting—
put's up
Th'employment's yours Sir:
If you need me,
I am within your call.

Sam.
The gods reward thee:—
Now Philatell thy worst.—

They fight agen, and close, Samor furles his sword.
Enter Orsabrin.
Ors.
Hell and the Furies are broke loose upon us,
Shift for your selfe Sir.—

Flyes into the woods several wayes pursued by Three in Devils habits
Enter Torcular, weak with bleeding.
Tor.
It will not be,—
My body is a Jade:
I feele it tire, and languish under me.
Those thoughts came to my soule
Like Screech-owles to a sick mans window.—

Enter Theeves back agen.
Thee.
Here—here—

Tor.
Oh! I am fetcht away alive.

Exeunt.
They bind him, and carry him away.
Enter Orsabrin.
Ors.
Now the good gods preserve my senses right,
For they were never in more danger:
'Ith name of doubt, what could this be?
Sure 'twas a Conjurer I dealt withall:
And while I thought him busie at his praiers,
'Twas at his circle, levying this Regiment.
Heere they are agen.—

Enter Samoratt.
Sam.
Friend—Stranger—Noble youth—

Ors.
Heere—heere—

Sam.
Shift, shift the place,
The wood is dangerous,
As you love safety,
Follow me.—

Exeunt.
Enter Philatell.
Phi.
Th'have left the place,
And yet I cannot find the body any where—
May be he did not kill him then,
But he recover'd strength,
And reacht the Towne—
—It may be not too.—
Oh that this houre could be call'd backe agen.
—But 'tis too late,
And time must cure the wound that's given by fate.

Exit.
Enter Samoratt, Orsabrin.
Ors.
I'th shape of Lions too sometimes,
And Beares?—

Sam.
Often Sir.—

Ors.
Pray unriddle.—

Sam.
The wiser sort doe thinke them Theeves,
Which but assume these formes to rob
More powerfully.—

Or.
Why does not then the State
Set out some forces and suppresse them?

Sam.
It often has (Sir) but without successe.—

Or.
How so?—

Sam.
During the time those leavies are abroad,
Not one of them appeares,
There have been
That have attempted under ground;
But of those, as of the dead
There has been no returne.—

Or.
Strange.

Sam.
The common people thinke them a race
Of honest and familiar Devills,
For they do hurt to none,
Unlesse resisted;
They seldome take away, but with exchange;
And to the poore they often give,
Returne the hurt, and sicke recover'd
Reward, or punish, as they do find cause.—

Or.
How cause?—

Sar.
Why Sir, they blind still those they take,
And make them tell the stories of their lives,
Which known, they do accordingly.—

Or.
You make me wonder! Sir,—
How long is't since they thus have troubled you?

Sam.
It was immediately upon
The great deciding day, fought
'Twixt the two pretending families,
The Samorats, and the Orsabrins.

Or.
Ha! Orsabrin?

Sam.
But Sir, that storie's sad, and tedious,
W'are entring now the Town,
A place lessesafe then were the Woods,
Since Torcular is slaine—

Or.
How Sir?—

Sam.
Yes.—
He was the Brother to the Princes Mistris,
The lov'd one too.
If wee do prize our selves at any rate,
We must embarque, and change the clime,
There is no safety here.—

Or.
Hum.—

Sam.
The little stay we make, must be
In some darke corner of the Towne:
From whence, the day hurried to th'other world,
Wee'le sally out to order for our journey.
That I am forc't to this, it grieves me not;
But (gentle youth) that you should for my sake.—

Or.
Sir loose not a thought on that
A storme at Sea threw me on Land,
And now a Storme on Land drives me
To Sea agen.—

Sam.
Still noble,—

Exeunt.
Enter Nassurat, Pellagrin.
Na.
Why; suppose 'tis to a Wench,
You would not goe with me, would you?—

Pella.
To chuse,—to chuse,—

Na.
Then there's no remedy.—

Flings down his hat.
Pella.
What doest meane?—

(unbuttons himself
Na.
Why? since I cannot leave you alive,
(drawes.
I will trie to leave you dead.

Pella.
I thanke you kindly Sir, very kindly.
Now the Sedgly curse upon thee,
And the great Fiend, ride through thee
Booted and Spur'd with a Sith on his necke:
Pox on thee, I'le see thee hang'd first;
S'foot, you shall make none of your fine
Points of honour, up at my charge:
Take your course if you be so hot.
Be doing,—be doing,—

Ex.
Na.
I am got free of him at last:
There was no other way;
H'as been as troublesome as a woman that
Would be lov'd whether a man would or not:
And h'as watcht me as if he had been
My Creditors Sergeant. If they should have dispatcht
In the meane time, there would be fine
Opinions of me.—I must cut his throat
In earnest, if it should be so.—

Ex.
Enter Theeves, A horne sounds.
Th.
A prize—A prize—A prize—

Perid.
Some duell (Sir) was faught this morning, this
Weakned with losse of blood, we tooke, the rest
Escap't.—

Tamoren.
Hee's fitter for our Surgeon, then for us,
Hereafter wee'le examine him—

Agen a shout.
Thee.
A prize—A prize—A prize—
(They set them down)
Ardelan, Piramant.

Tam.
Bring them, bring them, bring them in,
See if they have mortall Sin,
Pinch them, as you dance about,
Pinch them till the truth come out.—

Peri.
What art?

Ar.
Extreamely poore, and miserable.

Per.
'Tis well, 'tis well, proceed,
No body will take that away from thee,
Feare not,—what Country?—

Ar.
—Francelia—

Per.
Thy name?—

Ar.
Ardelan.—

Per.
And thine,—

Pira.
Piramant.—

Per.
Thy story,—come—

Ar.
What story!—

Per.
Thy life, thy life.—

(Pinch him)
Ar.
Hold, hold,—
You shall have it;—
(he sighs)
It was upon the great defeat
Given by the Samorats unto the Orsabrins,
That the old Prince for safety of the young,
Committed him unto the trust of Garradan,
And some few servants more,
'Mongst whom I fil'd a place.—

Tam.
Ha! Garradan!

Ar.
Yes.

Tam.
Speake out, and set me nearer;
So; void the place, proceed.—

Ar.
We put to Sea, but had scarce lost the sight
Of Land, ere we were made a prey
To Pirates, there Garradan
Resisting the first Boord, chang'd life with death;
With him the servants too,—
All but my selfe and Piramant.
Under these Pirats ever since
Was Orsabrin brought up,
And into severall Countries did they carry him.

Tam.
Knew Orsabrin himselfe?—

Ar.
Oh! no, his spirit was too great;
We durst not tell him any thing,
But waited for some accident
Might throw us on Francelia,
'Bout which we hover'd often,
And we were neere it now,
But Heaven decreed it otherwise:—

(he sighs)
Tam.
Why dost thou sigh?—

Ar.
Why do I sigh? (indeed,)
For teares cannot recall him;
Last night about the second watch, the
Winds broke loose,
And vext our Ships so long,
That it began to reele and totter,
And like a drunken man,
Took in so fast his liquor,
That it sunke downe i'th place.—

Tam.
How did you scape?—

Ar.
I bound my selfe unto a maste,
And did advise my Master to do so,
For which he struck me only,
And said I did consult too much with feare.—

Tam.
'Tis a sad story.—
(within there)
Let them have Wine and
Fire,—but hearke you,—

(Whispers)
Enter Theeves. With a Poet.
The.
A Prize,—A prize,—A prize.—

Per.
Set him downe,—

Poet.
—Sings.—
—And for the blew,—
Give him a Cup of Sacke 'twill mend his hew.—

Per.
Drunke as I live.—
(Pinch him, pinch him.
What art?—

Poet.
I am a Poet,
A poore dabler in Rime.—

Per.
Come confesse, confesse;

Poet.
I do confesse, I do want money.

Per.
By the description hee's a Poet indeed.
Well proceed.—

(Pinch him)
Poet.
What d'you meane?—
Pox on you.
Prethee let me alone,
Some Candles here,—
And fill us t'other Quart, and fill us
Rogue, Drawer, the t'other Quart,
Some small Beere.—
And for the blew,
Give him a Cup of Sack 'twill mend his hew.—

Tam.
Set him by till hee's sober,
Come lett's go see our Duellist
Drest.—

Exeunt.
Enter Taylor, two Sergeants.
Tay.
Hee's something tall, and for his Chin,
It has no bush below:
Marry a little wooll, as much as an unripe
Peach doth weare;
Just enough to speake him drawing towards a man.—

Ser.
Is he of furie?
Will he foine,
And give the mortall touch?

Tay.
Oh no!
He seldome weares his Sword.

Ser,
Topo is the word if he do,
Thy debt, my little Mirmidon.

Tay.
A yard and a halfe I assure you without abatement.

Ser.
'Tis well, 'tis wondrous well:
Is he retired into this house of pleasure?

Tay.
One of these hee's entred;
'Tis but a little waiting,
You shall find me at the next Taverne.—

Exit.
Ser.
Stand close, I here one comming.

Enter Orsabrin.
Or.
This house is sure no Seminary for Lucreces,
Then the Matron was so over diligent,
And when I ask't for meate or drinke,
Shee look't as if I had mistooke my selfe,
And cald for a wrong thing,
Well! 'tis but a night, and part of it I'le spend
In seeing of this Towne,
So famous in our Tales at Sea.—

Ser.
Looke, looke, mufled, and as melancholy after't
As a Gamester upon losse; upon him, upon him,

Or.
How now my friends,
Why do you use me thus?

Ser.
Quietly; 'twill be your best way

Or.
Best way? for what?

Ser.
Why, 'tis your best way,
Because there will be no other,
Topo is the word,
And you must along.—

Or.
Is that the word?
Why then, this is my Sword—

(Run away)
Ser.
Murder, murder, murder;
H'as kil'd the Princes Officer,
Murder—Murder—Murder.—

Or.
I must not stay,
I heare them swarme.—

Exit.
Enter Constable, People.
Con.
Where is he, where is he?

Ser.
Here,—here—oh a Manmender,
A Manmender,
Has broacht me in so many places,
All the Liquor in my body will run out.

Con.
In good sooth (neighbour) has tapt you at the
Wrong end too;
He has been busie with you here behind;
As one would say, lend a hand, some of you,
And the rest follow me.—

Exeunt
Enter Orsabrin.
Or.
Still pursu'd!
Which way now?
I see no passage;
I must attempt this wall,—
Oh—a luckie doore.
And open.—
Exit.
Enters agen.
Where am I now?
A garden and a handsome house,
If't be thy will a Porch too't,
And I'm made;
'Twill be the better lodging of the two.—

(goes to the Porch)
Enter Maid.
Phemilia.
Oh! welcome, welcome Sir,
My Lady hath been in such frights for you.

Or.
Hum! for me?—

Phe.
And thought you would not come to night:

Or.
Troth, I might very well have fail'd her:

Phe.
Shee's in the Gallery alone i'th darke.

Or.
Good, very good.

Phe.
And is so melancholly,—

Or.
Hum.—

Phe.
Have you shut the Garden doores?
Come I'le bring you to her, enter, enter.—

Or.
Yes, I will enter:
He who has lost himselfe makes no great venter.—

Exit.